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Engage the tractor beam – for real

Scientists create a beam that uses light to attract objects – with doctors first in line to use it

25 January 2013/12:20GMT

Chalk up another win for science – it's managed to bring one of Hollywood's many inventions to life in the form of Star Trek's tractor beam.

Scientists from the University of St Andrews have managed to use light to attract objects – albeit only on a microscopic scale right now. Still, in the future, it could be ideal for medical applications like separating cells in the body.

Unfortunately, that's the limit for now – the transfer of energy involved in the process means that you won't be towing a car any time soon. Unless you want to vapourise it.